PayPal has announced multiple long-term, strategic partnerships with a range of Germany’s favorite brands, as part of a major expansion into in-store payments. The first resulting initiative – Deal Week – is available to consumers across Germany today. Deal Week cashback from PayPal can be earned on in-store purchases at the following German brands. On different days of the week, customers can earn up to 10% cashback when they pay contactless in-store with the PayPal app. The offers recur every week, which means consumers could earn hundreds of euros in cashback a month using PayPal in-store. The new contactless feature can be accessed through the latest version of the popular PayPal App (both iOS and Android). Customers can pay safely and easily with a simple tap of their phone at any location that accepts Mastercard contactless payments, as well as benefit from Deal Week offers, once activated in the PayPal app, at approximately 2,000 partner locations4. For the first time, the PayPal App brings together a consolidated view of both online and offline purchases for the consumer. The latest version of the PayPal App also enables consumers to pay in installments for in-store purchases with Ratenzahlung To Go. Fast and flexible, customers can seamlessly apply directly in the PayPal App at any time. Ratenzahlung To Go is available in 3, 6, 12 and 24-month installments, helping consumers spread the cost of in-store purchases to meet their needs (in addition to PayPal’s popular online Pay Later options).
Splitit expanding its orchestration service to let processors participate in the transaction while giving them issuer channels through which to make direct offers to the consumer and also adding digital wallets to the mix
Splitit’s approach in the service economy is to construct an orchestration layer that lets customers pay for purchases over time using cards. “We’re expanding our service offering with more capabilities via the processor and the issuer based on the demand by these various players,” John Beisner, head of client success at Splitit, said. Among the near-term initiatives lies the ability to let processors participate in the transaction and give the issuer channels through which to make direct offers to the consumer amid a merchant interaction. As to the changing dynamics in the competitive arena of installment payments, Beisner said, “you’ve got the typical buy now, pay laters. You also have bank financing offers and other FinTechs involved in making financing offers to consumers.” “We think that by orchestrating that, bringing it into a single experience… we’re doing that at a level where it’s not just eCommerce, but it’s also for in-store transaction,” he said. “So, we’re trying to bring all of that together and provide a very focused capability to enhance the consumer experience. We’re also making sure that we maintain the relationship between the merchant and the consumers.” Consumers, in turn, discover that they can manage their funding more adroitly and find the spending power to “upgrade” their purchases to bigger-ticket choices as they don’t have to take out new loans to do so, he said. “We’re spending time getting out front of the transactions so that the consumer understands that they have options and that these are not loan-based options,” Beisner said. The checkout experience remains the same, as consumers enter their card details (or if they are already registered with a merchant, one-click checkout is an option). Splitit is also adding digital wallets to the mix, including Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, he said, “where the merchant does not even need to be signed up, where the customer can walk in with their wallet into any storefront and make a purchase — and then decide how they want to split those payments up,” he said. Splitit will also be rolling out a service where the merchant and the consumer share in the cost — “and we’ll still be using the ‘open to pay’ on a card to make that decision,” rather than a new loan, he said.
Indiana’s HEA 1125 recognizes that On-Demand Pay is a unique financial product, and mandates appropriate consumer protections
Indiana has passed earned wage access (EWA) legislation into law. “Indiana’s HEA 1125 codifies the industry’s best practices into law, including recognizing that On-Demand Pay is a unique financial product, and mandating appropriate consumer protections,” EWA provider DailyPay said. The company added that Indiana joins other states, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and South Carolina. Indiana’s HEA 1125 codifies the industry’s best practices into law, including recognizing that On-Demand Pay is a unique financial product, and mandating appropriate consumer protections. Indiana now joins multiple states across the country, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and South Carolina, which have also taken affirmative steps to ensure appropriate regulation is in place for the product. “We applaud Indiana legislators for responding to the realities facing working people in the state and ensuring continued access to a crucial financial option with common-sense guardrails that allow consumers and businesses to benefit,” DailyPay Vice President of Public Policy Ryan Naples. The company will make its On-Demand Pay platform available to new and existing clients with operations in Canada, DailyPay said. “Expanding into Canada is a major step in our mission to better serve our multinational clients and partners and to provide On-Demand Pay to everyone, everywhere,” DailyPay Vice President of International Josh Durodola said.
Mastercard partners broker to offer Business Bonus Scheme small business owners access to personalized advice from expert mortgage advisers on their end-to-end mortgage needs in one streamlined, digital journey
Habito has partnered with Mastercard’s Business Bonus Scheme to make mortgage support faster, simpler, and completely free for SME owners across the UK. Business owners will now be able to access Habito’s team of expert mortgage advisers at no cost, whether they’re buying a home, refinancing, or investing in a rental property. The goal? To give entrepreneurs the clarity and support they need to make confident decisions, without jargon or unnecessary paperwork. This partnership means Mastercard Business Bonus Scheme members can explore a huge range of mortgage options through Habito’s platform, get personalised help from qualified advisers, and secure deals that match their unique circumstances, all in one streamlined, digital journey. Ying Tan, CEO of Habito, said:“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Mastercard to support the UK’s business community. Running a business is hard enough. Your mortgage shouldn’t be. SME owners deserve smart, reliable advice that just works, without the stress or the sales pitch. That’s exactly what we’re delivering with this partnership.” Whether they’re buying for the first time, refinancing their home, or growing a portfolio, Mastercard SME customers can now feel more in control of their mortgage choices with Habito on hand to guide them through every step.
Study: U.S. shoppers pull back from Temu, Shein; shift spending to Old Navy, Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom Rack and others known for affordability
New data from Consumer Edge showed a sharp deceleration in U.S. consumer spending growth in April on ultra-discount Chinese retailers Temu and Shein. In the three weeks leading up to April 27, American brands including Old Navy, Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom Rack and Savers Value Village picked up a significant amount of redirected consumer dollars from former Temu and Shein shoppers. According to the data, Temu’s U.S. year-over-year spend growth slowed sharply in April 2025, decelerating from nearly 50% growth at the start of the month to almost zero growth by the end. Shein experienced a similar deceleration, with year-over-year spend growth declining from approximately 30% to around 20% during the same period. “This dramatic slowdown coincides with rising U.S.-China trade tensions, the elimination of the duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports and a reduction in advertising spend that had previously fueled both platforms’ rapid growth,” noted Consumer Edge. To identify where consumers spent their money, Consumer Edge analyzed shoppers who made at least two purchases at Temu or Shein in January or February 2025 but no purchases in March or April. Key findings include: Old Navy regains market share: Long known for its affordability, Old Navy is reclaiming cost-conscious shoppers and capturing spending from those moving away from ultra-discount platforms. Its broad assortment of clothing for all age groups and genders continues to resonate. Legacy department stores reclaim value shoppers: Bloomingdale’s, Kohl’s and Nordstrom Rack are pulling in significant dollars from ex-Temu and Shein shoppers, benefiting from their wide selections across categories. Resale gains ground: Savers Value Village is also seeing momentum as resale becomes the new value frontier. Beauty shoppers shift: Retailer Ulta Beauty and brand SpoiledChild are benefiting from consumers looking to make personal care swaps.
Target teams with Shipt to offer members of its loyalty program unlimited same-day delivery from a curated network of 100-plus retailers beyond Target and free of price markups
Target Corp. has unveiled a new program for members of its Target Circle 360 loyalty program that provides delivery from more than 100 beloved retailers beyond Target – with no same-day delivery price markups that would get passed on to customers. While same-day delivery from Target has always been free of price markups, this latest offering aims to make this service from many more locations even easier and more affordable. In contrast to many other membership programs that limit access to a one retailer, Target Circle 360 now gives members unlimited same-day delivery from Target and Shipt’s curated network of 100-plus retailers, among them CVS, PetSmart and Lowe’s Home Improvement, along with such popular regional grocers. New Target Circle 360 members who want to access this latest benefit will receive a special $20 off their first order of $75 or more. In addition to this new feature, Target Circle 360 members take advantage of the following everyday exclusive benefits: 1) Early and exclusive access to such deals and experiences as Target Circle Week, in addition to limited-time offerings and partnerships; 2) Recently introduced monthly Target Circle 360 freebies that allow members to choose from free products, dollars toward their next purchase and more, redeemable in-store or online. 3) Free two-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items 4) Extended windows on returns 5) Unlimited same-day delivery on orders of $35 or more 6) All of the benefits of Target Circle, including access to automatic deals and personalized bonuses.
Pizza Hut launches app for its summer reading program to motivate young readers to sharpen literacy skills and earn a free Pizza in rewards
Pizza Hut has launched an app for its longstanding Book It! program, first launched in 1984, designed to motivate young readers to achieve literacy goals by rewarding their accomplishments with a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza from participating Pizza Hut locations. The Book It! app is part of Pizza Hut’s revitalized summer reading program named, “Book It! Summer of Stories,” which officially launches June 1. The initiative encourages parents to stay engaged with their child’s reading journey and sharpen their literacy skills throughout the summer months when learning tends to decline. Parents can set monthly reading goals specifically designed to support children from pre-K through 6th grade and cater toward their child’s abilities while monitoring their progress. Young readers can earn one free Personal Pan Pizza each month in June, July and August by reaching the reading goals parents set for each month. “With the launch of the Book It! app, we’re making it even easier for parents to connect with their kids, set meaningful reading goals and inspire plenty of fun pizza-filled memories with their families. This new platform will help keep reading goals top of mind this summer — and turn progress into pizza.”
Levi’s reports 12 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth driven by 2X rise in e-commerce business to 10% of total net revenue in 2014; DTC take 52% share in total revenue
Levi Strauss & Co. is citing efforts to develop next-generation e-commerce solutions as a key component of its financial success. The denim giant has recorded 12 consecutive quarters of global double-digit growth, including a strong first quarter of fiscal 2025 it credited in part to global direct-to-consumer net revenues increasing 9% on a reported basis and 12% on an organic basis, as well net revenues from e-commerce growing 13% on a reported basis and 16% on an organic basis. DTC comprised 52% of total net revenues in the quarter. In addition, during the last five years, Levi’s e-commerce business has doubled, growing from 5% of total net revenue in 2019 to 10% in 2024. Jason Gowans, chief digital and technology officer, Levi Strauss & Co., said “We’re creating a global digital flagship experience that not only is expanding our loyal fan base but also is giving them a reason to return, steadily improving the overall health of our e-commerce business with global net revenues and EBIT margins improving double-digits on a compound annual growth rate over the last three years.” Gowans cited several specific digital commerce solutions it has developed, including a new search tool, high-quality content images, and more videos on product pages designed to create a dynamic online shopping experience and showcase items as they look in real life. Visitors to the site can also use a new fit quiz tool, which lets shoppers answer a series of questions on fit preferences, returning a number of personalized recommendations.
LendingClub is buying AI-powered spending intelligence platform Cushion that ingests users’ bank transactions and purchase data to help them track their bills, make on-time payments, manage subscriptions, build credit, and monitor BNPL loans
LendingClub announced the acquisition of intellectual property and select talent behind Cushion, an AI-powered spending intelligence platform, providing a natural complement to LendingClub’s suite of mobile financial products and experiences. Cushion’s AI-powered technology ingests users’ bank transactions and purchase information to help them track their bills, make on-time payments, manage subscriptions, build credit, and monitor BNPL loans. Scott Sanborn, CEO of LendingClub said, “Cushion’s technology complements our DebtIQ experience to provide our members with the tools and information they need to take control of their debt and spending. With credit card balances and interest rates at historic highs and consumers seeking ways to keep more of what they earn, the need for our solution has never been greater.” Adopting Cushion’s technology will eventually allow LendingClub to provide much-needed visibility into a consumer’s financial obligations beyond traditional credit monitoring. It builds on LendingClub’s acquisition of Tally in Q4 2024, which will simplify credit card management, help users optimize payments, reduce interest, and improve credit health.
eBay’s new shopping agent will show up wherever a customer is in their buying journey, either by reacting to their request or through predictive messaging inline on the page
eBay is equipping customers with agentic AI capabilities to help personalize and streamline their shopping experience. The new eBay agentic AI shopping assistant delivers real-time, hyper-personalized product picks and expert guidance based on a customer’s shopping preferences as they explore the eBay site. eBay’s new shopping agent will show up wherever a customer is in their buying journey, either by reacting to their request or through predictive messaging inline on the page the user is visiting. eBay is also participating in the research preview of Operator, a new agentic AI solution from OpenAI, developer of the ChatGPT generative AI model. To use Operator, consumers describe the task they would like performed, such as locating a desired product to purchase, and Operator automatically handles the rest. On the shopper side, the retailer offers “Shop the look,” a generative AI tool that provides an immersive carousel of suggested outfits, tailored to customers’ shopping history. eBay has released a “magical” seller listing solution that uses AI to analyze, research and extrapolate details about listings from seller-provided data. The company also offers a selling tool called the “magical bulk listing tool” that leverages generative AI to let sellers upload batches of product images for which eBay will generate draft listings with suggested categories, titles, and item specifics within seconds.